This was a relatively low-key Thanksgiving for us.  No family visiting, just the six of us.  We started the day off with a bang, as usual.  The boys were going crazy from having been home with me all day on Wednesday.  As things would have it, when the boys go crazy, I go crazy (and vise-versa unfortunately)!   So we headed outside for a nice, long hike.  The weather was beautifully cool and crystal clear.  It was a perfect fall day.  However, to say the hike was uneventful and relaxing wouldn’t be completely accurate either.  I’ve come to accept the fact that when you have 4 boys under 7, there will always be dramatic and tense moments infused into everything we do.  I’m learning to embrace the crazy, but it’s a process!

As far as my job, I’m absolutely loving it.  Even the hard days that draw me far outside my comfort zone, I love.  It’s an interesting thing being an introvert in a job like psychiatric nursing.  I’m constantly being challenged and having to redefine myself, which is a blessing if you let it be.  It’s a very rewarding process to work with people who have hit rock bottom and watch as they pick up the pieces and get ready to give life another try.   Sometimes you can see the transformation before your eyes and other times, the situation isn’t as hopeful.  I’ve found that nobody is looking for advice or to have all their problems solved.  Oftentimes all they want is for someone to witness how hard life can be, to be offered a safe haven where they won’t be judged or defined by their mistakes, and to be reminded they are not alone.  Don’t we all wish for that?  Don’t we all deserve that?  I certainly hope so.

P.S. One evening, while I was feeling particularly harried at work and rushing all around, I darted to the conference room to look for a patient chart I needed.  When I opened the door, this sunset hit me in the face.  It was breathtaking.  I paused, took a few deep breaths and soaked it in.  No filter needed on this one.  It was magnificent.